I loved Dear Martin and when I heard Nic Stone was writing a follow up to it, I had to get my hands on it. Dear Justyce did not disappoint. In this companion novel, Stone focuses her story on Quan, who was in jail for killing a police officer. Through flashbacks and letters that Quan writes to Justyce from prison, the reader learns about Quan's troubled past, living in poverty, father in prison, and trying to protect his brother and sister from their mother's abusive boyfriend.

I appreciated the raw, truthfulness, in Nic Stone's writing. She has a way of engaging young readers in topics that a relevant and important to discuss.

4.5 stars! I enjoyed this story, but there were a couple of hang ups that this story had that Dear Martin didn’t have.

Things I liked:
the character arcs of the characters from Dear Martin and Quan’s story in general

Things I Didn’t Like:
the writing style was weird at times, the story didn’t always seem believable, the happy ever after, and the random tossing in of two gay characters at the end

I know it sounds like there was more I didn’t like than what I did, but overall, the story was one that needed to be told. It could have went deeper, but for YA, this was exceptional.

I was very excited to read this book after reading Dear Martin this summer. This book did not disappoint. I appreciate the willingness of the author to tackle these issues and make them accessible to all readers. While this book is a little too much for my 7th-grade students I will most certainly be recommending it to my high school summer school students. I also highly recommend it as a high school and even college read. There's something so real about the writing, the situations the characters are in, and the emotion. While Quan has an exponentially large support system we know that's not the case for all kids and raises the question - what else can I do? As an educator, I see the opportunity for many great conversations and activities based on this book. I am so thankful to have read this book early and can't wait for my teacher friends to read this book!

This book was truly amazing. Seriously, it’s essential and timely. It’s also eye-opening. The world we live in isn’t fair, and even less so for some people like Quan. He is a victim of circumstance, and readers learn this throughout the story both in the present time, the letters, and flashback scenes.
Honestly, I can’t say much more without feeling I will be giving spoilers.
While you could read it without reading Dear Martin, I do highly recommend reading it first.
Not just because I think you’ll get more out of the story, but because it is equally fantastic.

Excellent follow-up to [book:Dear Martin|24974996]. This time the main character is Justyce's friend Quan, who tells us his story in flashbacks and letters he writes to Justyce from jail, awaiting a trial for a crime he eventually confesses to Jus he didn't commit. An important story about incarceration of male Black youths, and how crucial it is that they get support from an early age from adults in their lives, to help everyone have an equal footing and believe in themselves.

This story is a follow up to Nic Stone's book "Dear Martin". This story is told by Quan in a series of letter to his friend Justyce (the main character from Dear Martin). Justyce is now in his first year at Harvard as a pre-law student and Quan is in jail facing murder charges. Through the letters and counseling that Quan receives, he and Justyce come to believe that there might have been a rush to justice and that Quan might be innocent. This is a hard story to read sometimes - there are stark descriptions of abuse, neglect, and injustice that many kids face on a daily basis. The book ends on a hopeful note, which I hope readers will be able to take with them to go out into the world and make a difference.

A worthy sequel to Dear Martin. I think I even liked this better, especially after the first quarter of the book. My interest piqued and I tore through after dawdling a bit. Recommended for teens.

I was happy to hear there would be another installment in the Dear Martin series and I have enjoyed what I read thus far. Perfectly relevant to current events, Nic Stone paints memorable characters and writes powerfully in a way that tugs on your heart strings and makes you boil with rage. I'm looking forward to placing a copy of this in the hands of my niece who also read #DearMartin.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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4*
Pros: Very important book about the fight against racism, not only for Americans, but for the whole world. Multilayered and relatable MC. Loved to see the return of Justyce and friends from Dear Martin. Describes the reality of systemic racism, police brutality and power abuse, the pressure and hate put on young Black people in the US, but also present in several countries, including mine. Casts some light on mental health issues, such as PTSD, anxiety and panic attacks, and depression. Heartbreaking portrait of the judiciary system and the life of a convict. Offers some hope of what can be done if we keep fighting and raising our voices against injustice.
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Cons: The pace and events were too rushed. The ending felt sugar-coated and incomplete.
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Trigger warning: police brutality, physical and emotional violence, domestic assault, traumatic events.

Posted to Goodreads: Teenage Quan is waiting for trial for a crime that he may not commit. Through a series of letters to his childhood friend, Justyce, Quan's story is revealed and the truth about the night the police office was killed comes to light.

This book is hard to discuss because it's basic message is beautifully told but the actual character development felt lacking. Stone writes a story about a young African American man who had great potential and drive but society and circumstances pushed him into a box that lead to crime. The story is relevant and realistic and something that needs to be told, however, I never felt like I got to know Quan or care about him. His story is told in the third person and it made it feel emotionally lacking. I care about Quan's story but I never actually cared about Quan. The story is important and Stone is a gifted writer but this book didn't have the same emotional impact as "Dear Martin".

I was deeply moved as I read Dear Martin, but Dear Justyce took it to another level.

Nic Stone introduces you to Quan in Dear Martin, but it is a brief introduction. You are aware that he and Justyce know each other, but there isn't much more information than that and what happens to Quan in the first book. In Dear Justyce, the reader experiences the struggles young, underprivileged African American males are experiencing in America today. Even though Justyce and Quan have grown up in the same neighborhood, Quan doesn't have the benefits in life that Justyce has. I am thankful that Stone has tied Quan and Justyce together in this sequel to Dear Martin so that there is communication and hope for this character.

Fantastic Read! I highly recommend it and would read it again.

i'm giving this 5 stars because i do think this sequel is even better than the first book, and it's equally as powerful and important, but there are two things i want to mention:

1) toward the very end of the book, it is revealed that a major side character is gay. i completely understand the significance this has for Quan's character, but i can't help but feel like it was thrown in at the end for some last minute character "development" - quotations because said development is just mentioned briefly in like one sentence. this side character had an even bigger role in the first book. so much could have been done with his character to write important & meaningful content for queer and Black teens to read, but it was thrown in at the very end of a sequel. even if we were shown a little bit of Quan's development because of this gay character, it would have been fractionally better, but we were just told about it in one little paragraph. is it nice having casual queer rep? yes, i loved seeing the words "his husband" with no big deal made out of it, but not when it's treated like an afterthought for some tiny little character development that we aren't even shown. so much more could have been done with showing Quan's life after prison.

2) i think this easily could have benefitted from being a little longer. the majority of this book is set in a prison - we see parts of Quan's life before the arrest, but at least 50% of this book is set in prison. we get to see how Quan is treated by the guards a little bit, and we see him struggle with PTSD and his mental health as a result of several traumas in his life, but we're not really shown what prison life is like for unfairly treated Black youth. this is a work of fiction and not a purely educational work, but i think this aspect could have been explored even just a fraction deeper and add a little depth to the story.

so in short, i think this book could have benefitted so much from being even just 50 pages longer

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouse for my #gifted e-ARC.

HAPPY PUB DAY TO DEAR JUSTYCE BY NIC STONE!

CW: racism, gun violence, incarceration, abusive and violent relationship, cancer, panic attacks, anxiety, death of a stepparent, juvenile imprisonment, parental arrest/imprisonment, police brutality, PTSD

Synopsis: The sequel to DEAR MARTIN (one of the BEST books I read all summer) follows the story of Quan, cousin of Manny and friend of the first book's protagonist, Justyce. Quan is awaiting trial for the shooting death of a police officer, and the book is told in a series of flashbacks and letters to Justyce, unraveling the story of Quan's life. This story examines the flawed policing practices that discriminate against African American boys in the criminal justice system, touching on coerced confessions, prejudiced police work, and more.

Nic Stone wrote this book because two boys she knew asked her to. They wanted a book that they felt reflected in. They told Stone that Justyce --who attended a private school and eventually went to Yale -- did not represent their stories. So, despite the trauma and pain it took Stone to write this book, she did. Stone is a vital middle grade/YA voice.

I also appreciated Stone's discussion of mental health, something so important in a YA book, as Quan receives help from a counselor and discovers his PTSD and anxiety. Quan writes "I thought [PTSD] was only linked to being in the military and going to war, but apparently a lot of the stuff I went through as a kid qualifies as 'trauma' and my brain has created these...reactions to anything that reminds me of the traumatic events. She calls them 'triggers' -- which IS a trigger...so I've been referring to them as sparks."

This is a story of police brutality, the misgivings of our criminal justice system, and how important having a support system is. The author's note is also impactful, where Nic stone explains that many children have stories like Quan's, but lack support Quan receives from Justyce and others.

Everyone should read BOTH of these stories. Pick your copy up today. I'll share reviews in my stories today.

4.5 stars rounded up!

After finishing Dear Martin, I honestly didn't know if a sequel was necessary because I thought Justyce's story was essential done. However, Nic tossed us one heck of a curveball by giving us Dear Justyce, which mainly follows the story of Quan.

I honestly can't even compare the two stories because Justyce and Quan are like apples in oranges. What I will say is that Justyce's story is one that reminds me of my own. It's the poor Black child who is able to find opportunities and escape from life in the hood. Quan's story reminds me of the kids that I grew up with who were trapped and discarded by society.

Dear Justyce was more painful to read because I was made painfully aware of my own biases and prejudices. I made a lot of assumptions about Quan's character based off of the snapshots that we got in Dear Martin, but watching Quan's character change and evolve was incredible. By the end, I just wanted to hold him tight and never let him go.

This book was honestly just incredible, and it is one that should be a must read for everyone.

Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers for providing a review copy through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Nic Stone answered the call of two boys who wanted her to write a story similar to theirs since they didn’t have experiences or support systems like Justyce did in Dear Martin. Quan’s story is heartbreaking and infuriating due to the fact that there are so many kids in similar situations.

While Stone admits that most kids like Quan wouldn’t have a support system like the one Justyce helped him receive, it’s beautiful to imagine how things SHOULD be. As a middle school teacher, reading this book makes me want to work harder than ever to be there for my students and to help them realize their value and potential.

Everyone should read this story.

I reread Dear Martin right before reading this, and when I realized that this book was about Quan, I was so excited! Justyce's story was one perspective on racism in the criminal justice system; Quan's is an entirely new one. After reading this, I want to go back and reread Dear Martin again with this new background in mind!

This book is divided into two parts: the first covers Quan's childhood through the event that puts him in jail. The second is more what you might expect from a "true" sequel, in that it picks up after the events of the first book. I enjoyed the second half more than the first - since you already know what's coming in the first half, it doesn't carry quite the same narrative gravity. However, I totally understand the importance of the first half, and I really value that look into Quan's early life.

Quan's story stands apart enough from Justyce's that it can be read by those who haven't read Dear Martin (but if you haven't read that book, why not? Get on it). I think it's going to be eye-opening to many people; it certainly was to me. I'm very excited for it to be released so I can recommend it to people!

CW: murder, racism, police brutality, gang violence, gun violence, domestic abuse, death of minor characters, panic attacks, mention of drug overdose

Dear Justyce is the sequel to Dear Martin, and like it, much of the book is written letters to. Quan is a side character from Dear Martin, who was arrested and put in jail because he is accused of shooting and killing a police officer. He writes letters to Justyce, the main character of Dear Martin, to have someone to talk to. Quan and Justyce were friends once upon a time, and were both bright and had a lot of potential. They took different paths in life, and now Justyce is at an Ivy League school while Quan is in jail for murder charges. The letters and flashbacks allow the reader to see what changed Quan's trajectory from promising student to juvenile delinquent, and insight on why he made those choices. Like Dear Martin, this book gives you a lot to think about in terms of disproportionate jailing and sentencing of black males, as well as the handling of their cases and the circumstances that landed them there in the first place. I truly believe that this book and series can be eye opening for people who never have and never will have first hand experiences of this, and maybe even help bridge gaps between groups of people. It was well written, informative, and entertaining. I think it is a must-read, and I will for sure be purchasing it for my school library. Nic Stone has hit it out of the park, again!

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley, in return for my unbiased and honest opinions.

In my opinion, Dear Justyce was even better than Dear Martin. I wanted so desperately to reach out to Quan and let him know I was rooting for him. I loved Nic Stone’s style and thought she really captured Quan’s voice and experience so well. I feel like this should be required reading, honestly.

I was very excited to see that Dear Justyce was being released, giving readers an opportunity to revisit characters from Dear Martin. In Dear Justyce, instead of being the letter writer, Justyce is the receiver of letters. Those letters come from Quan, who is writing to Justyce to describe his experience in jail.

I think the potential for this book was great, but the delivery needed either more time devoted to story detail or a longer page count. I wanted the story to delve into the characters more deeply. While we did learn about Quan's background, it felt a little surface-level, keeping me from feeling Quan's feelings. A story like this provides such an opportunity to allow readers to empathize with a character, and it fell a little short there for me.

Overall, I did like the basic plot line, and it certainly is a timely book. I just think the impact could have been greater with a little more depth.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I'm pretty bummed that COVID happened the same year Nic Stone was supposed to visit my school. It would have been a perfect time for my students to read this book and hear this voice. So since "Dear Martin" was on the summer reading list for some of them this year, I am making it a point to recommend this book to all of my classes in lieu of her visit.

"Dear Justyce" takes place a few months following the events of the first book, and while it's not entirely necessary to have read "Dear Martin", some of the same characters make an appearance. In book one, the story is told through letters to MLK from a Black teenager trying to make sense of a world that doesn't appreciate people who look like him. Justyce has to navigate the privileged White world of his school life with the culture and community of his home life.

In a similar way, "Dear Justyce" focuses on Quan, a character who is in no way privileged and no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to get ahead. Quan's character is a reflection of the real lives of too many kids of color in America, dealing with systemic racism and the impact that has on their lives. Stone touches upon big issues of poverty, trauma, domestic abuse, as well as drug and gang violence. But most importantly, she shows how kids who are faced with these hurdles are deeply traumatized and are set up to fail because they likely have few good role models to show them the way. Luckily for Quan, he has his best friend, Justyce, there to help him, as well as a whole slew of therapists, lawyers, friends, and teachers. But as Stone writes in the author's note, "the most fictional part is the support Quan receives."

Not only is this book important for people who need to be educated about these social issues and the impact they can have on the young people in this country, but it is important to see characters who represent all walks of life. Although Black, Justyce comes from a place of privilege, which for many young readers may not be the reality. Quan's life will be relatable for some readers, and seeing him deal with and overcome hardships will be empowering and hopeful for those who need it. I especially appreciated that Stone discussed how trauma can happen simply from living in poverty or experiencing racism, that one does not need to suffer abuse to have something deeply and negatively impact one's life. I think too often, young readers believe that if their life isn't as bad as someone else's that there is no justification to feel a certain way. And, of course, Stone destigmatizes seeking professional help for dealing with this trauma, which is a message many young (and old) people need to hear.

Overall I think what stands out in this book is the themes and representation. But the story itself is well written, fast paced, and engaging. There were a few plot points that seemed unnecessary and one character that didn't feel wholly developed for me, but besides that I found the book enjoyable. I would highly recommend this for young adults, and will happily place this alongside "Dear Martin" in my classroom library.